The World in Six Songs How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature

Dividing the sum total of human musical achievement, from Beethoven to The Beatles and Busta Rhymes to Bach, into just six fundamental forms, Daniel Levitin presents a revolutionary new way of understanding music. Through songs of friendship, joy, comfort, knowledge, religion, and love, he illuminates a breathtaking vision of music's central role in our lives.

Far from being a simple song and dance, Levitin argues that music has been instrumental in the evolution of language, thought, and culture. It is a force at the core of what it means to be human. He makes the case that these six song types are the building blocks of human experience, revealing how music is a fundamental part of our biology and our society.

A one-time record producer who is now a leading neuroscientist, Levitin is uniquely placed to compose this ambitious narrative. He weaves together Darwin and Dionne Warwick, memoir and biology, anthropology and a jukebox of anecdote to create a catchy and comprehensive 'soundtrack of civilisation.'